Major record labels- Large companies within the music industry that may also own smaller record labels
Record companies serve different purposes which benefit the audience, artist and themselves. The main reasons for record labels are for distribution, marketing, promotion and enforcement of copyright. These different elements of the record labels work help with the succession of the artist/artists, the purpose of them is to make a profit and sell the products.
Sony music entertainment UK is currently part of one of the biggest music and entertainment companies in the world. A few artists which this record label manage is groups such as The Clash and solo artist including Ke$ha.
This record company owns other smaller record companies such as Columbia records and Sony music Japan. This parent company owns many more smaller record labels showing the picture adjacent. Sony music UK is has many popular artist signed to them for example Britney Spears, Shakira and Calvin Harris.
Sony music entertainment UK is owned by Song Corporation of America which is linked to many other types of media for example electronics, audio, film and television work.
Another major record company for the UK is Universal Music Group (UMG), this is the largest business and family of record labels in the record industry. A few artist who are signed to this label are Lady GaGa, Gwen Stephani and Mariah Carey.
This company also own smaller companies such as Capital Music Group,
Island Records, Universal Music Classical and Republic Records. These smaller companies have also signed some popular artists for example Republic records had a past with Amy Winehouse. And Island records are signed with Afro-Jack, Dizzee Rascal, Jessie J, McBusted and John Newman.
UMG's parent company is Vivendi which owns a number of other companies in the film and television industry and music industry. For example the Canal+ Group which is a leading television group in France. This shows that although the company is successful in the uk it is also successful in other countries.
Warner Music Group (WMG) is also successful in the UK. It is the third largest company in industry with artists such as Ed Sheeran, Madonna, Wiz Khalifa and Coldplay.
WMG also owns other, smaller companies including Warner Classics, Warner Bros. Records and Rhino Entertainment. Warner Bros. Records currently has artists such as Lily Allen, Cher Lloyd and Jason Derulo signed to them.
The parent company for Warner Music Industry is Access Industries which is a privately owned American conglomerate. This companies owns other media companies in music and telecommunications such as AMEDIA, which is one of Russia's leading television production companies.
Independent- Music label that operate one or a few music labels.
An example of an independent UK label is Factory Records. This was Manchester based record label which was started by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus in 1978. This company focused in giving the artist a particular sound and image. They signed Joy Division, New Order and Northside.
Another UK independant record label is Native Records, which was based England, and foundered in Sheffield by Kevin Donoghue in 1985. In 2006 they formed their own distribution company Indie Distribution. Some current artists signed to Native Records are OneUnder and The Barristers. Past artist signed to this company are The FireFlies, Fatal Charm and Darling Buds.
I think it is right that 4 companies dominate the music industry because it means that their isn't confusion about which artist should be signed to where, it is down to they own choices. The four main companies contain many smaller record labels which meet the requirements of different artist meaning they have a wide variety of who they would like to sing to but they can also stick to one company which they believe will be most beneficial to their individual demands. But i can also see the other view that it is restricting because technically there are only four companies to work with although there are smaller companies within, some artists may feel that they are being kept within a small circle of conflicting companies and find it hard to chosen one for themselves.
I think that these four companies keeps the music record label industry from going out of control, it keeps the smaller companies within the boundaries of the major record labels and therefore the competition does not get to out of control when battling for artist to be signed.
Sometime independent record labels are as successful as major record labels because they have less artist to focus on and can therefore provide for attentions and money for the few artists they have. Therefore they can become more successful as there individual needs are more likely to be met and they can make the artist extremely appealing for the audience because of the effort which is abel to be out in.
The only think that independent record labels can provide which major labels can is deeper focus on their artist, they can crete a unique artist and put in the effort to make the successful and appealing. Major labels can not do this as well as independent because the have a wider range of artist to offices on they have to share the time and money between them all.
The copy right law give creators of book, articles, sound recordings, musical, broadcast, films etc the rights to control the way in which their material is used. It gives them cover over whats can be copied, adapted, issued, and renting copies. These copy rights mean the audience are restricted to how they use the material, the creator have control over what they do with it, they can deny them of any rights to the material, may restrict how they work with it or allow them do what they want.
Applying for copyright
To use the Amy Winehouse's song, In my bed we had to apply for copy right this is so that we can use the song without any issues in the future, when it comes to uploading it or showing the final result. Without the creators approval we could be faced with a few issues if the record label figure it out, so with the permission it makes it safe to use them music without getting any punishment, fine or getting sued.
To gain copyright we have to research into the record label, first my group and I had to find which recored label the artist was signed to. We did this by researching into her career and researching to the particular song. Then we have to find a contact number or email to contact them by. In this case we found out the Amy's main record label was Universal Music Group, we found their contact email which was mediauk@umusic.com. We then sent an email to them ask for their permission to use 'In my bed' for out A2 course work and mention that they if they wanted to be recognise then to send us the information. Heres a copy of the email sent to the record label.
An example of copy right issues in the music industry is Justin Bieber and Usher, Devin Copeland and Mareio Overton claimed that Biebers song 'Somebody to love' contained several similarities to their song of the same name which was released in 2008. This lawsuit was made public knowledge and is was said that numerous song writers and producers had the intention of copying their original song. In the end Bieber and Usher got sued for £6.4 million for copyright infringement.
I am still awaiting feedback from my record label, however I am still planning to create music video.
The research was carried out in order to find out what was wanted from our target audience, the research shows what the soul genre lacks and what the audience what in a new soul music video. Not only does it tell us what is wanted in the music industry but it also tells us what will make a music video most effect and which elements allow the audience to connect the most. I asked 40 people so that there was a wider range of answers in the research collected, the participants provide different opinions on what they believe is need in music videos, particularly soul. I am going to use the results in order to make a conventional music video which the audience will enjoy, by using their opinions to make the element most suited to what they like. The results will help me to make my music video enjoyable for them, I can use them to see what the audience would like to see, and what they would like to see
through the soul genre.
I created some pie charts from the result of the questionnaires to make reading the results a bit easier and easier to analyse.
The first question I asked was the standard how old are you with the option of 14-17, 18-20, 21-25 or 26+. These age categories help me to understand what parts of the target audience like what and how the age of the audience effects the results of the questions asked. Having the age information allows me to relate the answer closet to my target audience, and what they like about soul or music videos. Therefore I can apply this to my own music video and make sure the video is as relatable as possible and most effective to the audience I am aiming it at.
The next question asked is what is the gender of the participant, this is a simple closed question but it is essential to the research. This question is asked so that I can identify if there is a difference between each genders answers. It has enabled me to see if the men and women have different views. From this I can relate the results to my target audience, although my target audience is both men and women so it does effect my product. But for example if the target audience was men then the men's results would have to be taken into deeper consideration in order to make the video most effective. I can use the result to get an even balance of the two genders what in as video and what they both want to see, this will then make my music video more successful.
The next question asked was if the participants like music videos. This question doesn't help a lot when it comes to using it in my own product as it doesn't give specific reasons to effect an element in a music video. This question was to give a rough idea on wether the age groups enjoy music video. It helped to see if the ages in our target audience enjoyed them because if not then there wouldn't be any point in making the product to attract them as it would not become successful. Not only does this question help understand the age categories but also the gender, it could help with recognising if males and females enjoy music videos, so that the target audience can be focused on the audience whom actually like music videos.
Another question asked which helps when trying to create an effect soul music video is 'Do you like the genre of soul and why?'. The results from this question help understand why soul music attracts its audience, the participants are able to explain why the personally like soul and give their opinion on it. This is helpful because it tells me what things are essential to the target audience when listening to/watching a soul music video, I can then incorporate these different elements into my own soul music video. The results allow me to understand who the audience feel about souls music and i can go on form there to emphasise on this to make my own product extremely effective and enjoyable for them. For example an average percentage of the 40 participants asked liked that soul is different. This 'different' feel is focusing on the uniqueness of most soul music and their videos. It is clear that audience enjoy this and want to see it , therefore I want to include a unique image for the video in order to capture the audience attention.
Following this was the question 'What do you think of Amy Winehouse as an artist/performer?'. This question was used so they I could get and understand of what the intended target audience thought of my chosen artist. the results give me an idea of what the audience think of Amy Winehouse in both the typical styles used in her videos. Some answers were that she is a good singer (25%)and pretty (12%). One answer which was often said was about her image Amy uses, the participants seem to enjoy the way she recreates the narrative and performance styles to make it unique. This will help me when it comes to creating my own music video because the results have enabled me to gain a deeper understanding of what the audience enjoy about Amy's videos. Meaning i can add this uniqueness which they seem to enjoy a lot in to my own music video in order to add to the success.
'What do you expect to see in a soul music video?' was another question asked. This question is important to the research of the target audience, it shows what they see as conventional which can help with showing what elements of soul music video are most effective. By knowing what the audience expect to see in soul music video shows that the particular element had effect on them because they remember it. A common answer was emotion from the artist (37%(, this makes me want to use strong emotion of the artist in my music video because it is clear that is can have a big effect on the target audience. The emotions of the artist can allow them to relate and connect to the video and the song which is what I aim sign for info order to make my music effective and successful.
The next question is 'What emotions does soul music make you feel and why?'. This question was used because the results show what the audience feel when listening to/watching soul music videos and why it happens. Which can then show what elements make the video effective because they have created emotions for the audience. Sad and depressed was the answer often given at 42%. These emotions are conventional for the soul genre because the songs are normally based on a love story which hasn't necessary ended well or is restricting the victim. These results are helpful because the participants explain why they feel this way, which can then help me to incorporate these emotions into my own music video. This is because they have shown what makes them feel like this for example the facial expressions of an artist can create these sad emotions. If I include this into my product it can become more effective and relatable for the audience meaning more success.
Next asked was 'Who is your favourite soul artist and why?', this was asked so that I could what other artist in the soul industry use to make themselves successful. The results show what makes other soul artists effective and why the audiecnce like them. One of the most popular soul artists, within the 40 participants, was adele with 25%. The participants said that they like Adele because of her "simplistic look" they seemed to enjoy that she wasn't to bold and that "her music is unique". This information has given me ideas on what to include in my product, it has shown me what the target audience like to see in soul music. for example the simplistic look, the audience seem to like the Adele isn't to vibrant and that she keeps it realistic, I want to use this in my music video to make the audience relate to my artist by keep her neutral.
'What interest you in music videos?". This question is useful to my research because it is shows a generic idea of what the participants enjoy in any music video, this could them be used and transformed into a conventional soul elements, potentially making my music video more effective. The artists image was a common answer for the 40 people ask with 28% giving this as their answer. The participants seem to enjoy an artist image when watching music video, it is shown to be the main focus when they are watching a video. this is useful when planning my own music video because I can taken into consideration that the audience enjoy and artist look and can make sure that the artist appealing to the audience. I can do this by creating the unique look which seemed to attract to audience a lot in the results above.
Finally the last question was 'What style music videos do you prefer, narrative or performance and why?'. This question is helpful because the results who what the audience would prefer to see in the music video and what certain elements the enjoy about it. The most said answer was performance which a collective result of 53%, along with this the audience said that they enjoyed this style the most because it "shows the artist emotions". This has inspired me to use some performance style in my music video because it clearly effects the audience the most, which is what I am aiming for in my product. i want the audience to connect with the artist and for this to enable them to relate to them. If the audience can understand the artist if makes the video a lot more appealing so the results have help me by showing that perforce style is the best way to do this.
Vox pops
For this research I record the participants as I asked them the questions, these videos are called Vox pops, the purpose of this is so that I could look back and be able to analyse the results which were bit more difficult to put into pie charts. The open question were at times long and hard to write down so having the recordings made the analysis much easier. The Vox pops are beneficial because they show inmate depth them the pie charts, how the audience felt about each question, they show the full answer to the open questions which can then be used in the planning of my own music video. being able to hear the full open answer allowed me to understand the intended meaning of the participant and be able to understand what they enjoy better.
Conclusion
I found the research useful because it aloud me to understand the audiences opinion on what I am going to be using within my own music video. For example it showed me what they enjoy about music videos, allowing me to incorporate some of the results into my planning. The research also told me what the participants thought of the art I am going to use, Amy Winehouse. I showed me what they like most about her, meaning I can use some of these elements in my own music video to make it more appealing. I am going to incorporate the results into my music video by taking some of the more positive asset of which the audience enjoy and putting them in my music video. I plan on using the most common answers and merging into sections of my music video which will make it more appealing for the target audience. For example one thing that was a popular answer in a few questions, was the artists image. From this research I can make sure that the artist image is appealing and effective for the audience in my product leading to more success. If I were to carry out the research again I would use some more in depth questions about specific elements for example; What do you think about Amy Winehouse's image? Or; What emotions would you like to see in a soul music video and how would you like them to be portrayed? These questions would have given me a better idea of the specific elements that effect the audience and I could then try to use the answer in the results in my music video.
My group and I decided to chose Amy Winehouse as our artist because we found her interesting, We find her style different and engaging, along with her voice which is also unique. Her contrasting image, voice and style make her exciting to work with, these assets inspired us to re create one of her music videos. Having her in mind whilst creating a music video is a good artist to have because she inspires the group and I to thin outside the box and be different.
Artist profile
Amy Jade Winehouse was born on the 14th of september 1983 and died july 23rd, 2011. She was an English sing and song writer, she was known for her deep vocals and her soul music. Amy's first piece of music work was in 2000 when she featured with the tonal youth jazz orchestra, her best friend then sent her demo to and A&R person. From there she was signed to Simon Fullers 19 management in 2002
Amys first album was released on the 20th of october 2003, with the record label Island. Her second album was released on the 27th of october 2006. From these albums Amy went on to get awards and many nominations. In 2006 november and december until 2007 when she made an appearance on stage and was hit this booing. She then announced she would not make any more appearance for the rest of the year.
Amy won many awards in her career for example Brit awards for British female solo artist in 2007 and she British single for her song Valerie in 2008. She also won a lot of Grammy awards especially in 2008 with a total of 5.
Amy had a few different record label companies, which were universal music group, Island records, Republic records, Lioness records and universal republic records. For her frank & back to black album the label was Island records, Frank's label was Universal Records, Hidden treasures with lioness records
For Amy's back to black album she had many sales in around 25 different countries including united states with around 3,000,000 sale, United kingdom with 3,600,000 and France with 440,700 sales. In Europe the estimates number of sale all together is around 8,000,000. In the world there was around 20,000,000.
Amy's other album Frank was released in less countries then Back to black with around 12 making sales. In Australia there was around 35,000, Spain 50,000 and Untied Kingdom with roughly 1,000,000 sales. Overall in Europe there was an estimated 2,000,000 sales, which shows that United Kingdom made half of these.
Back to black
My chosen artist is Amy Wine house and I am going to analyse two of her singles, the first is one of her most popular song back to black. This song became highly popular after her death in 2011.
Paradoxes
There are a few different paradoxes in this Back to black music video. Firstly Amy is simultaneously present and absent for the consumers. This is clear through Amy always being available to her audience though the internet with things such as youtube or wikipedia. the audience can easily get a hold of something that contains the artist whenever they like. They can watch her music video previous interview or even read old articles. This makes her present to the consumer because they always have access to her. But she is also absent from the consumers, although the internet provides a constantly line of access to her Amy, at the time of the video she wasn't doing any live performance or attending any interviews. this shows her as absent to the consumers because they can see her at the present day, only if the back tracked to her previous work.
Amy winehouse is also simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary. This shown through her different images and personality assets. In Back to black there are many way in which Amy is shown a ordinary for example her ordinary settings in the video, there are location for the music video which are at a funeral and in a apartment. These setting are ordinary to the audience, they are a regular element in most people lives, making them easy to relate to and understand. The is also an extraordinary element in the video which is Amy's image. She is wearing a very low cut top showing a lot of cleavage, her hair is extremely back combed and high and her makeup is daring with the intense amounts of eyeliner used, which reaches her eyebrows. This image is not normally seen to the audience, they don't see this kind of unique style everyday. It is daring and maybe attract to hate form other audiences, but due to Amy being confident enough to follow through with it shows her extraordinary aspects. She isn't afraid of what people may say, she just wants to look however she likes.
Goodwin's theory
This back to clack video follow some points of Goodwin's theory for example it demonstrates genre convention. In this particular video there is a constant edit of black and white, which is used for the whole duration. This black and white edit create the unique, old fashioned look for the video and makes it seem serious. this is conventional as it is common to this in soul music video which the back to black video is. Black and white is often used in this genre wether it is just for some scenes or the whole video it is common because of the old fashioned, deeper meaning feel it gives to the audience. This edit appeals to the audience because they can see that the artist is serious about the song and that is is meant to be a thoughtful, with strong emotions portrayed to them.
Another point from Goodwin's theory used in the music video is the demands of the record label, they will what to include lots of close ups of the artist so that the audience can build a relationship with them. This is seen through all the cameras shots which focus extremely on Amy's face. This is done so that the audience can clearly see how she feels about the song and which lyrics she emphasise, this then allows them to understand how the artist feel and what the song means to her. This is appealing for the audience because they can then relate to the way the artist is feeling by comparing it to their own emotions or their own situations which relate with the song.
In the Back to black video Amy is represented as extremely serious and sometimes moody. She is shown to be mourning over some one, who isn't necessarily dead, the narrative style shows her at a funeral of her feelings, this means that throughout the video she has very black facial expression there is no sign of happiness of laughter, she has a constant blank face. This represents her possibly depressed which is understand because of the narrative but it may also portray her in the real world she may not be happy or settled. For the duration of the video Amy stay like this portraying to her audience that sh is upset, serious and unhappy.
The target audience for this music video is around 20 to 50. This is a more mature video which a younger audience may not understand, as they will not be able figure out the inferred meanings. This video is very dark and has deeper meaning than what the narrative shows, so the older audience can understand due to more life experience in the matter that Amy is singing about. The song is about a relationship which again the 20 to 50 audience will be able to relate to and connect to their own lives and past experiences.
The style of the music video is a mixture of narrative and performance. the performance scenes include amy sitting in a room with two business men, she is sitting in an arm chair performing the song although she does not often sing to the camera, it seems as though she focused on other elements around the room but her face is also still visible. The appeals tot he audience because they can see how the connects with the song, they can understand how she feel and what emotions she wants the to gain of looking at her facial expression. The narrative scenes are based on a funeral, but not for a person, the funeral is a metaphor for her feelings, after her and her boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil had an affair. The song shows the emotions the split gave her and how it made her feel. these two style are conventions for soul and are also commonly used in Amy Winehouse's work.
Micro elements
First off miss en scene was used to create and effect for the artist and their music video. In Back to black the lighting is a key element which make the video effective. For the whole of the video the lighting is low key due to the back and white effect played on top. This is used on the performance and narrative scenes to emphasise the meaning the Amy wants the be shown. This low key lighting is effective because it makes the video seem very dull and reflective. These emotions allow the audience to understand why the artist created the song and what its meanings are. This dull look allows the audience to relate to arrest emotions, they can see that she unhappy and hurt by the sour relationship that the song is based on, rom this they can then move on relate that back to their own emotions and their own experience with relationships so that they connect with Amy and the song.
The hair and make-up used in Back to black is also effective and represents Amy's typical image. Her hair is back combed in to an enormous heap in the top of her, which was her signature look. And her make up is very simple, the only noticeable thing is her eyeliner which was dragged out to her eyebrows in a wing shape. This look almost made her look feline, although this song show her weak side in the relationship she was in, the hair and make up shows her bold personality and represents her as a strong woman who isn't afraid of what people think of her look. This images is stereotypical for a soul artist because they keep their image simplistic but normally have an asset which stands out so that they are recognisable, of example adele, she always styles her hair in a volumised up do. This appeals to the audience because they enjoy seeing something unique about an artist as they can then see them as an idol because they aren't afraid of what people maybe think, this also helps with them remembering an artist as something stands out which they are less likely to forget.
The positioning of Amy varies throughout the video which creates and effect on what the audience takes from its meanings. Amy is seen in the centre of the shot when it is just her but she is also seen in different angles and sides, she its constantly moving places. This created a macro meaning for the audience that she isn't stable, having her constantly changing positions shows the audience that Amy isn't very stable in life and is deeply effected by the song and its meaning. This instability allows the audience to understand the large effect that Back to black has on the artist, they can understand that she is unhappy and is possibly overwhelmed with what has happened causing her to be insecure. They can then go further to relate this to themselves and previous times where they themselves may not have been in the most stable positions.
Facial expressions and body language are highly effective in this music video. For example the seriousness of Amy and her constant blank face, this shows the audience that she is unhappy and who the song make her feel. It is clear to the audience due to the artist dull expression that she is not enjoying herself, she is depressed. As the audience can see this they begin to feel the same as they take into account how Amy feels towards the lyrics, they can understand her better and therefore relate more to the music video and the song.
Finally the settings of the video are used to represent the artist. For the performance style scenes Amy is performing gin some kind of apartment in some stages she is in a sitting room layout, some in the stairway and some in a bedroom. This is stereotypical to see in soul music videos because the artist are meant to be perceived and very layback they don't want to be overly vibrant with the setting because they stand out in other elements of the videos. This also allows the audience to relate to Amy because she is in a normally everyday setting which most audience members will live in or know somebody who does, meaning they can relate back to them people in their lives and that living space is.
Throughout the video they are many common camera shots used. For example close ups, there are many close up of Amy, she is often seen with just her face in shot and barely any background activity. These close ups are effective for the artists succession and the videos appeal because the audience can see a nearer view of her facial expressions, not only do they see this it makes them feel the same as her. Amy's facial expression being made clear through the close ups allow the audience to make a stronger connection with the artists, and her message within the song.
Another common camera shot used is high angle. This is shown when the camera is looking down onto Amy, she is being seen below camera level which portrays many meanings to the audience. From this shot they can see that the artist is vulnerable and that she is strongly effect by the song. Having Amy represented as vulnerable shows her instable state as she tells the story about her past relationship, through her music she shows the audience how she was effected by a real life situation. This then allows them to create a bond with her through the emotions she wants them to feel and emotions that the audience and herself and in common.
Tears dry on their own
The next music video is another top hit called Tears dry on their own, this music video is another soul genre music video from 2009.
Paradoxes
Paradoxes are also used in this Amy winehouse video for Tears dry no their own. The first is the simultaneous ordinary and extraordinary aspects in the video. This video is ordinary because of its setting which is similar to Back to black. Some scenes of the music video consist of Amy in a bedroom, this is an ordinary location which the audience can relate to. It is mostly like an everyday place for them meaning they can understand the artist relation to it. This shows the ordinary aspect but there is also extraordinary elements shown through the outfits of the characters in the video. As Amy is walking down the busy street all the extras around her are wearing unique, vibrant outfits which stand out to against everyone else. There is no two same outfits and they are all daring, either low cut or mining coverage. This is extra ordinary people it is not a realistic setting, the audience won't expect to walk around the street and see everyone there in some different piece of clothing containing bright colours or risky cuts. this shows the artists creative and daring side, these costumes inform the audience that the artist is still a music 'start' and can be risky if she likes. Both the ordinary and extraordinary aspects are simultaneously used to make the video appealing for the audience as they can see elements which they relate to and elements which are interesting and different.
Another paradox of the video is how the artist is simultaneously present and absent. This is clear through Amy always being available to her audience though the internet with things such as youtube or wikipedia. the audience can easily get a hold of something that contains the artist whenever they like. They can watch her music video previous interview or even read old articles. This makes her present to the consumer because they always have access to her. But she is also absent from the consumers, although the internet provides a constantly line of access to her Amy, at the time of the video she wasn't doing any live performance or attending any interviews. this shows her as absent to the consumers because they can see her at the present day, only if the back tracked to her previous work.
Goodwin's theory
Tears dry on their own uses a few different points from Goodwin's theory, for example voyeuristic treatment of the female body. In this music video Amy's image makes her attractive for the male audience, she is wearing a scruffy low cut dress which is also short coming half way up her thigh, her hair and make up also add the the look which makes her even more attractive. The males audience find this look appealing as Amy is flaunting her body, without realising the attention she is attracting. This is often seen with female music artist as they focus on looking nice but don't realise that the male audience are then more attracted, this shows the voyeurisitic treatment of the female body.
Another point used from Goodwin's theory is the lyrics and visual relationship. This is slowly shown through the last minute of the video as Amy continues so sing the words "He walks away, The sun goes down, He takes the day but I won't." whilst she is singing these lyrics the scenes slowly get darker as if the su is going down. this relates the the lyrics because they mentions sun down which is what is happening in the video is i gradually turning from day to night. this appeals to the audience because they can see the creativity of the artist and how they can transform lyrics to work with video and make it even more interesting and effective.
In this video Amy is represented as a vibrant, upbeat character who is positive about moving on. This is clear through her walking style she is very bouncy and lively the shows her confidence in the lyrics that she is going to be happy once the sadness has gone. Another thing that represents her as this upbeat character is the, the high key lighting which makes everyone in the video seem very cheerful showing the audience that there is a possibility she is also happy. Having Amy represented as content appeals to the audience because they can then tell that the video is going to lift spirits not be dark and gloomy. It represent the song well and promotes the messages of not letting things upset you and to move as soon as possible.
I believe the target audience for this Amy Winehouse music video is male and female ages 16 to 40. This is because of the extraordinary aspects, the costume are very vibrant and the colours are extremely bold. The suits younger audience rather than the 40+ because they can relate more to the character within it, they are more likely to see these bold personalities on nights out or parties. The message of the song, to move on, is also relatable for this audience because they have been in relationship or situations which may have been upsetting but have realise, like Amy, that being upset doesn't help and it is better to move on. These different elements appeal to this target audience because they can relate to most of the video and find both the ordinary and extraordinary aspects exciting.
The style of this music video is mainly performance based. there are two different scene in the video which are; the bedroom scene, which consists of Amy in her bedroom singing and sometimes to the camera. And the town scene where Amy is seen walking through the town and the crowds whilst singing agin sometimes to the camera. There isn't really much of a narrative to this vied Amy is just commuting foreman place to another without any real meaning or message. But this style is appealing for the target audience because they can see how Amy reacts to the song and the vibe she gives of, they can then relate to this and understand how she wants them to view the song and its messages.
Micro elements
One of the settings for this Amy Winehouse music video is simular to the Back to black setting of an apartment, it is in a bedroom. One of the scenes in the tears dry on their own is in a bedroom, possibly Amys. This is a good setting to use as it keeps the video realistic. This setting is used everyday by the target audience so they can relate can almost feel comfortable whilst watching. The realistic setting in also conventional to the soul genre because of it blandness, more often than not soul music videos do not go to over the top with their setting because the audience are meant to be more focused on the rhythm and the lyrics rather than a vibrant setting.
Next is the hair and make up. In this music video amy has the same hair and make up as in all her video sand public appearances, she has backcombed hair which is piled on the top of her head and black winged eyeliner reaching her eyebrows. This shows the audience her unique image which creates some excitement about her music and what sh sings about, it shows her different styles and personality which could reflect on her products. The hair and make up shows her bold personality and represents her as a strong woman who isn't afraid of what people think of her look. This images is stereotypical for a soul artist because they keep their image simplistic but normally have an asset which stands out so that they are recognisable, of example adele, she always styles her hair in a volumised up do.
The positioning of the artist is used to keep the focus on her. Amy is mainly always in the centre of the screen with an occasional stray away. This keeps the audiences attention on her and her performance. Because the style of the video is performance based it means that the audience need to watch the artist in order to understand the song, they need to look at her body language and facial expressions so that they can understand the emotions intended by the artist. This centre screen position allows the audience to relate with the artist as they can see what they are feeling and what they are aiming for the audience to feel, they can gain a deeper meaning to the message of the song with having to have it explained through a narrative style.
Facial expression and body language in most music videos are a key element in understanding it. In Tears dry on their own Amy facial expressions and body movements are very sassy. whilst she is singing her lips are over exaggerated and her body is loose, she is almost walking with swag. This shows the audience the artist attitude which represents her as powerful and strong, the fierce image show the audience that she is passionate about what she is singing and that she is following through with the messages of moving on and being strong. The audience can relate to this body language because they will have at some point felt like this if it isn't a regular occurrence, they will understand who Amy is feeling and who she wants them too feel. Therefore making the over messages of the video more powerful and adding to the success of the product.
Finally there is another key asset to the understanding the artist and the song. For the whole video the lighting is high key with bold, vibrant colours including light blue, hot pink and yellow. These colours present the music video as positive, it shows the audience that the song is meant to be up lifting and energetic, these colours allow the audience to automatically see that the message of the song is meant to be positive and helpful rather depressing. The audience can then understand how the artist wants they read the song, Amy is clearly showing her target audience that they shouldn't let bad experience hold them back.The target audience can relate to Amy in this video because the lighting show her positive approach on moving on and they can then try and take on her emotions and make them their own.
Camera shots are also used to create a deeper effect from the music video, there a few particular shots commonly used. For example mid shots, the mid shots are used a lot in this video showing Amy from the waist up. This particular position is used to show the artists facial expressions and body language, the audience can see a lot from this shot and gain a great understand of the artists emotions and attitude from of the song. Amy is shown as confident and sassy, the audience can see this from the mid shot and can then relate to this and understand what the artist wants then to take on board and what the song is meant to mean. This appeals to the target audience because having a clear view of the artist performing creates a great effect from the overall vide and allows then to connect even more with the messages.
Another commonly used camera shot is the tracking movement. In the town scene the camera tracks Amy as she is talking through the crowds. This is effective because the audience feel as though they are there with her they feel close to her because they can see where she is going and what she is doing. They do not lose sight of her in these scenes meaning the know they can't miss out on anything and can see how the artist acts in the busy environment. This helps the audience relate with the artist because they feel close to Amy and therefore the video becomes more effective and more successful as it draws attention.
Summary
This research into my chosen artist will help me when it comes to planning my own music video because i have learnt a lot about Amy Winehouse. The research has helped my understand how she attracts her audience and which assets are most important in her music videos. It has helped my to understand her style and her uniqueness when it come to her image and her music. Through the different thing I have learnt about my artist It will help me decide on what is need in my video to make to successful and what will attract the target audience. I will also help when it comes to the message of the song I can now understand how to portray and message though the different aspect of a music video for example a narrative or Goodwin's relationship point between lyrical and visual. Overall I have gained a better understanding of how micro elements, styles, paradoxes and Goodwin's theory points work to create an effect music video and appeal to the audience.
I gained some inspirations through analysing Back to black and Tears dry on their own. For example i would like to use some narrative and performance style scene in my video because i think they work best with my chosen artist, Amy Winehouse and the soul genre. I found that these two style made the video really effective and gave the audience a good understanding of the emotions the songs intended. I would also like to give the artist character in my music video a unique style, I believe that Amy's image in the two video male her attractive and different which interest the audience and inspires the to be imaginative. These two asset seemed to bring Amy's video to life they made them unique yet realistic to the audience and made the song messages very clear and understandable.
My group and I chose to create a music video of the soul genre because we believe there will be alot more to work with, it will be interesting and we can get a good piece out of it. Soul music often have chatty rhythms and powerful vocals so we think it would be a good genre to work with and recreate.
Duffy, Mercy.
Duffy's mercy video has a range of conventions of soul.
Conventions of soul
Duffy's mercy video shows a lot of conventions for the soul genre for example through the mise en scene lighting. In this video the lighting is low key, with lots of dark colours like blacks and browns. There is also lots of back lighting for this video, coming from behind Duffy as she is performing on the platform. This lighting is conventional to the pace of the song, soul music isn't meant for club dancing it is meant for slow/mid pace dancing and therefore the lighting adds to the mood the song is meant to create. The audience relate to the low key lighting because it makes them feel relaxed and therefore they finding the song more enjoyable.
The lyrics for Mercy are also genre conventions for soul. Part of the lyrics in chorus say "you got me begging you for mercy, why won't you release me?" these lyrics show that the song is about not wanting to have feelings for someone and that she wants to be relieved of it. This is a conventional message for soul music because more often that not the genre focuses on love stories or relationships wether it is for good or for bad. Meaning Mercy follows the codes and conventions of soul as the lyrics meaning and what emotions the artist aims to create for the audience are a common factor used. The target audience can also relate to this because they are age around 16+, this wide audience are very likely to have experience this kind of feeling in their lives, that they want to escape from a relationship wether is is romantic or just some kind of chemistry.
Duffy outfit for the music video is also conventional for the soul genre. She is wearing a grey, sleeveless, knee length dress with red stilettos. This outfit is conventional because of its class, it represents Duffy and a classy woman who has respect for herself and doesn't expose her body in a voyeuristic way. It fits with the soul genre because women soul artists especially like to present themselves as elegant, they are rarely seen wearing overly provocative outfits like in the pop genre. The audience can relate to this because they can relate the outfit back to real life and what they would image someone wearing git in everyday life to be like, they would expect them to be well spoken, high class and well educated.
Mise en scene
The mise en scene is used a lot in Mercy to show soul conventions specifically facial expressions and body language. Duffy's expressions are quite blank throughout the video but she does give some sassy smirks and focused looks. This is conventional for the soul genre because the artists are normally very determined individuals who have goals and like to follow their own messages of the music, linking back to the focused looks. Duffy's facial expressions show her passion for the song but it also shows that it is not intended to be taken to harshly, she wants the audience to be light hearted and enjoy the music. This appeals to the target audience of 16+ and soul lovers because the music is originally meant for dance purposes and therefore they can see from Duffy's face that it is meant to be for fun.
Positioning of character is also used to attract the audience. Duffy is mostly in the centre of the screen if not, then in main focus in the shots she features. Due to her being in the centre it shows her importance and that she should be concentrated on. This is conventional to most music genres, not just soul because if the music is from a soloist they are going to be most appealing in centre view of the audience. If the audience can see the artist clearly they can then see some other elements of mise en scene, for example costume, hair and make up which means they can understand better and understand the themes or meaning intended by the artist.
As I explained in the conventions of soul section above lighting also fits in the codes and conventions for soul. The lighting in the Mercy video is low key, with dark colours for example blacks and browns and most the higher key lights used are back lighting. This type of lighting is conventional to the soul genre as it is calming and helps set the mood for the song, soul music isn't meant to be to fast pace or have harsh beat drops like club music, it is meant to be slightly slower with catchy rhythms so therefore the lighting helps with the soul atmosphere. The lighting appeals to the audience as it sets the feeling for them and make the song more intimate.
This low key lighting also link in with the setting of the music video. For all of the video the location is in some kind of bar with a dance floor/empty floor space, the lighting links on with this because it is the same as the setting would be in real life. The setting is conventional to the soul genre because is the most common place the music is likely to be heard, and as soul is meant for dancing the dance floor area is conventional as well. The bar setting appeals to the audience because they can relate to it, they have probably been to bar locations before and can understand the feeling the artist is trying to create.
Costumes also links to the bar setting in this video. The men dancing behind Duffy are wearing smart black trousers with t-shirts and smart leather shoes. This costuming is conventional to the genre and matches the setting because the dancing aspect, soul music is meant for dancing and the outfits the men are wearing show that they follow this theme. The black leather shoes are often seen on men in these bars whilst they enjoying themselves, so therefore it matches with what vibes the artist wants to create. The audience can relate the costumes back to who the se wearing this in the real world and how these people represent themselves.
Cinematography
Cinematography is another micro element used to make Duffy's Mercy video conventional, the camera uses different angles movements and positions to appeal to the audience and make the video relatable. One shot used was a mid shot. Half of Duffy is shown in shot from the waist up, this shot show her facial expressions and part of her body language in a stronger way. The audience are able to see Duffy's passionate facial expressions in this shot which is conventional because they can see that she is using facial expressions to show the audience her confidence. This mid shots allows the audience to see the artist better, meaning they can therefore gain an understanding of her feelings towards the song, they can see what she wants them to feel and what emotions she wants to create.
Anther camera elements used is and low angle. This is when the camera is placed beneath Duffy looking up at her as she performs. This angle is used to show Duffy's importance and stability, it represents her as strong. This is also conventional to the soul genre because female soul artist are often seen as strong women who are focused and have good morals which they follow, they are represented as respectable artists and keep everything in their music subtle with little bad language or potentially offensive lyrics. This appeals to the audience because they can then respect the artist and can see that she is not daring or to modern, they gain a relationship with he fact that she is mediocre.
Editing
Editing is another micro element used to make Duffy's mercy video conventional and to make it appeal to the audience.
Firstly the main editing technique used is jump cut/straight cuts. This is seen in most shot changes in the music video, and it is a simple change from one shot to another with no fades or slides. This is conventional to soul music videos because they are rarely bold or distinctive, they are often slow videos which focus on the artist and sometimes show a narrative but with little excitement. So theses jump cut/straight cuts keep the audience feeling how the artist wants them to, it adds the emotions the artist is creating throughout video through other micro elements.
Also in the Mercy video some special effects are used. Towards the end of the video the men dancing become a lot more daring with the moves they are doing introducing flips and fast for work, leading to their feet starting to spark which then leads to them setting alight, the fire continues spread until they are completely engulfed. This isn't actually conventional to the soul genre because, as explained above, the videos are normally kept simple with basic narrative styles and slow changing shots, so the special effect used is controversial. Although this isn't conventional it still appeals to the audience because is it not done in a over the top manor the men still continue to dance nothing particularly crazy happens. This editing technique attracts the audiences attention, it brings an element of excitement to the music video and gives them something to remember when they hear the song.
The target audience for Duffy's music videos specifically Mercy is 16+, this is because of the soul genre, most ages enjoy the music and listen to some kind of soul on a regular basis. Males and females are both target for the music video as they can both relate to the artist or other characters in the video.
Duffy is represent as a respectable, focused and meaningful young woman, she comes across as a ver relatable person with high morals. The video shows her messages of being stuck in a relationship which is not wanted and the audience can easy relate to how she acts and what her song is about.
The style for the Mercy video is performance based, there are no aspects of narrative or concept. For the whole video Duffy is performing her song, not directly to the camera but to a possible audience which the viewers cannot see, there are also dancers in the background behind Duffy who are performing to her music. This style video is conventional to soul music video because they are normally basic so that the audience can focus on the artist, the rhythm and the messages of the songs.
Adele, One and only.
Adeles music video for One and only contains main soul conventions.
Conventions
An immediate convention of Adele music video for One and only is some of the lighting. The video has a range of lightings and colours but one which stands out the most is the black and white shades. These colours make the video seem vintage, which is a classical convention of soul. A lot of soul video have old fashioned looks, they don't follow modern day fashion. This is appealing to the audience because it makes the video interesting to as not many other music videos use these colours, the more popular music genre embrace more vibrant colours.
Iconography is also used a lot in One and only to show conventions. Some iconography used was instruments such as a piano and a guitar. This is conventional because in soul music the rhythm is the most catchy part and are usually created by these kind of instruments. Soul follows classic instruments it does use any modern pieces or sound effects, so that fact that the audience can se what the music has been made with shows them it is a conventional soul song. Seeing this appeals to them because they feel closer with music being able to understand how it was made and what the artist used to create the product.
The cinematography used was also conventional, specifically the hand held camera. This used a few time in the music video for example when the go is in shot walking, or when there is a close up of a ball made of elastic bands. This hand held camera is conventional because of the feel it gives the video, it creates a more relaxed and edgy look. Soul music video are often very calm there are no harsh editing or special effect, which means One and only follows what the audience expect to see from the genre.This appeals to the audience because they are getting what they want and they can enjoy the music in the way they want to which is carefree.
Mise en scene
A lot of mine en scene is used in adele's One and only video so create a stereotypical soul video
Setting and iconography are conventional throughout this video. The video is based over many different setting for example the park, in a car, in an apartment, but the most effective one is the music studio. In this scene of the video Adele is seen sitting in a studio playing instrument, singing and having general fun with the people she is working with, but at some point she does show the emotions that she want the song to create. The setting is conventional because it show the originality of the artist and that she wants the audience too see how she work and what she does with her time, it creates a more down to earth feeling which is often used in soul music video to help the audience connect with the artist. This appeals to the audience because they gain an insight to the artist everyday life they can relate to them as a real person not a character or a product.
The costumes in the video are also conventional. With Adele's different outfit including black and grey colours of jeans, jumpers and t-shirts. These outfits are conventional because of their casualness, these items of clothing are seen everyday, they common things worn by the audience. Soul music video are good at relating to the audience and the artist wearing these clothes makes her relatable to them, making this video conventional. The audience can relate to the artist better by what she is wearing she is represented as an everyday person now a celebrity or high end talent, she comes across as 'normal' making the audience feel comfortable with her.
I have already spoken about the low key lighting and the black and white colours above but the different types of light in the video are also conventional. As well as the black and white there is a range of other bright and dark lightings and colours. Throughout the video the colours change a lot this creates realistic image for the audience, they can see how each part of normal day life is for the artist, she uses the colour to show the audience what she enjoys or likes and what she doesn't. In the darker scenes it shows parts of her life that she doesn't enjoy as much for example when she is alone or in the music studio and the brighter scenes show what she enjoys or what parts of her life have hope for example her performing. This is conventional to the soul genre because of the unique look it gives the video, the range of colours makes the video look creative and inspiring. The audience enjoy and relate to this because the video is one of a kind and they are able to relate to the artist more.
The artists position is another convention the soul genre. The artists positioning changes throughout the video she ranges from left to right, centre to the high and low, she is never in the same positioning in two running shots. This is conventional for soul because it is unique, the video is not overly exciting but is also not boring, the different positions keep the audience interested but don't go over the boundaries of what fits the soul codes and conventions.
Finally facial expressions are used to show the soul genre. For most of one and only Adele facial expressions are very serious she look bored, blank and possibly un happy. This show the audience what she feel like in the scenes she is doing, for example when she is in the studio she looks bored which infers that she might not enjoy when she working in the studio in her real life. These facial expressions help the audience relate to her as they can see what she is feeling and by this they can relate that back to their own emotions or previous feelings.
Camera
In the video there are lot camera shots used to make the video conventional. There a lot of close ups used on Adeles face throughout the video. This is done so that the audience can see her facial expressions, they can then relate to how she is feeling and what she is doing. This is conventional to the soul genre because soul artists like to give their target audience thing to relate to, they try to make their videos easy for the audience to understand and give them a lot meanings. This appeals to the target audience because they can get a better connection with the artist and therefore can understand all aspect of the video, like the emotions, the messages and the artists feelings.
The movement of panning is also used a lot in the video. It is used a lot to show the different surroundings of the artist and how she lives. In these panning movements a lot more of the setting is seen showing the artists style when is come to home furnishing etc. This is conventional because of the unique asset it reveals, as soul music videos often contain an element a creativity and uniqueness. The audience can relate this because they get a more in depth view of what the artist likes and their styles.
Editing
Editing was used to show the convention of soul in One and only by creating different effect to the audience. For example fades were used a couple of time in the video, the shots would fade form one scene to another. This creates as calm setting and portrays the artists played back approach. Fading is conventional as it show the relaxed moods of the video which is often seen in soul music videos. This appeals to the audience because they can understand the artist and how they want to create a relaxing video but also show their possible unhappy emotions, which they can then relate back to similar emotions they have been through.
Another editing technique used is jump cuts for the same reason as the fade and to show the same conventions. The jump cuts in One and only are used to change from one scene to another, it shows the different areas of the artists life and how they live. These jump cuts are conventional to soul because the music videos are normally meant to be slow and therefore these medium pace changes keep the relaxed feel for the video. This appeals to the audience because they continue to feel how the artist wants them to and they can gain a better understanding of the artists life relating it back to their own and the struggle they face.
The target audience for Adele's, One and only music video is 16 to 50, this age category enjoy soul music, but Adele's music is more of modern soul compared to Duffy so the target audience isn't as wide. This genre is meant for men and women, so the target audience is also for bother genders although women to tend to enjoy her music more. I think this is because of her strong voice which is sometimes to much for people who what to listen to music in order to relax not dance.
In this music video Adele is represented as an everyday person, she is shown as down to earth. This is a good way to be presented because they audience can relate to the artist better, they can understand where they are coming from and how they feel. The audience can feel a better connection of the soloist from this 'normal' image and therefore can enjoy the music more.
I think the style of this video is more concept based, it focuses of the concept of Adele's life and how not everyone is happy even though the seem it. The music video is intended for the audience to see the real artist and not see them as a product.
The research into my chosen genre will help when is comes to planning my own music video. In this research I have been able to identify different genre conventions which appeal to the audience and I could see which had a greater affect on their emotions. I gained some opinions on what I think works best for soul music videos, for example black and white colours, instruments as iconography and serious facial expression. All these micro elements create emotions for the audience so that they can relate to the artist and understand how they feel towards the song or in general life. This research is going to help with my planning as it has given me inspirations for the different elements in which my group and I are going to incorporate into our music video. It has shown me what styles work best which is performance and concept, which camera shots, angles and positions have a deeper effect which is mid shots and close ups and also the mise en scene and how it represents the artists throughout their videos.
This record company owns other smaller record companies such as Columbia records and Sony music Japan. This parent company owns many more smaller record labels showing the picture adjacent. Sony music UK is has many popular artist signed to them for example Britney Spears, Shakira and Calvin Harris.
WMG also owns other, smaller companies including Warner Classics, Warner Bros. Records and Rhino Entertainment. Warner Bros. Records currently has artists such as Lily Allen, Cher Lloyd and Jason Derulo signed to them.
This record company owns other smaller record companies such as Columbia records and Sony music Japan. This parent company owns many more smaller record labels showing the picture adjacent. Sony music UK is has many popular artist signed to them for example Britney Spears, Shakira and Calvin Harris. 
